The Herald Bulletin

October 30, 2009

Chesterfield: Officials misappropriated $250,000

State Board of Accounts orders reimbursement from five

The Herald Bulletin

CHESTERFIELD, Ind. — Five Chesterfield town employees, including Town Marshal James Kimm, misappropriated more than $250,000 during a two-year period, the State Board of Accounts charged in an audit released Wednesday.

Kimm and former Clerk-Treasurer Christopher Parrish were alleged to have spent $52,553 on unsubstantiated travel and reimbursement claims.

Kimm, Parrish and former police officer Joseph Brown charged the town $115,391 in the unsubstantiated repair of town equipment. They reportedly turned in 24 invoices for repairs, mostly to police vehicles, from a local auto repair shop.

However, the invoices appeared to have been created using standard word processing, the audit noted. The town checks were made payable to the auto shop and endorsed by Brown. Brown and Kimm are half-brothers, the audit said.

The audit covers the period of Jan. 1, 2007 to Jan. 1, 2009. The State Board of Accounts has ordered full reimbursement.

Look for a full report in The Herald Bulletin on Friday.